The next day, after dinner, Redruth and I were afoot again and on the road. I said good-bye to Mother and the cove where I lived, and the dear old Admiral Benbow. Next moment we had turned the corner and my home was out of sight. Soon we found ourselves in Bristol.
I was going to sea myself, to sea in a schooner, with real seamen, to sea, and to seek for buried treasure! While I was still in this delightful dream, we came suddenly in front of a large inn and met Squire Trelawney, all dressed out like a sea-officer, in stout blue cloth, coming out of the door with a smile on his face.
“Here you are,” he cried, “and the doctor came last night from London. Bravo! The ship’s company complete!”
“Oh, sir,” cried I, “when do we sail?”
“Sail!” said he. “We sail tomorrow!”
8. At the Sign of the Spy-glass [32]
The squire gave me a note addressed to John Silver, at the sign of the Spy-glass. The sign was newly painted; the windows had red curtains. The customers were mostly seamen, and they talked very loudly.
As I was waiting, a man came out of a side room, and I was sure he must be Long John. His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder he carried a crutch. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham [33] – plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling.
One look at the man before me was enough. I saw the captain, and Black Dog, and the blind man, Pew, and I thought I knew what a pirate was like – a very different creature, according to me.
“Mr. Silver, sir?” I asked.
“Yes, my lad,” said he, “such is my name, to be sure. And you are our new cabin-boy; pleased I am to see you.”
Just then one of the customers at the far side rose suddenly and made for the door [34]. I recognized him! It was the tallow-faced man, who came first to the Admiral Benbow.
“Oh,” I cried, “stop him! It’s Black Dog!”
“I don’t care who he is,” cried Silver. “But he hasn’t paid his score. Harry, run and catch him.”
One of the others who was nearest the door leaped up and started in pursuit [35].
“Who did you say he was?” asked Silver. “Black what?”
“Dog, sir,” said I. “Has Mr. Trelawney not told you of the pirates? He was one of them.”
“So?” cried Silver. “In my house! Ben, run and help Harry. Black Dog? No, I don’t know the name, not I. He used to come here with a blind beggar.”
“I knew that blind man too,” said I. “His name was Pew.”
By the time the two men came back and said that they lost Black Dog in a crowd.
“I hate these pirates,” said Long John. “It’s very serious. I’ll go with you to tell Mr. Trelawney what has happened.”
So he did. Long John told the story from first to last. The two gentlemen regretted that Black Dog got away, but what to do? Long John took his crutch and left us.
“All the crew must be aboard by four this afternoon,” said Mr. Trelawney.
9. Powder and Arms [36]
The Hispaniola lay some way out. The captain seemed angry with everything on board.
“I don’t like this cruise,” said the captain. “I don’t like the men.”
“Possibly, sir, you may not like your employer, either?” said the squire.
“Stay a bit [37],” said Dr. Livesey. “No use of such questions. I require an explanation. You don’t, you say, like this cruise, captain. Why?”
“I find that every man knows more than I do,” said the captain. “I learn we are going after treasure. I don’t like treasure voyages at all, and I don’t like them, when they are secret and when (begging your pardon, Mr. Trelawney) the secret has been told to the parrot.”
“Silver’s parrot?” asked the squire.
“It’s a way of speaking [38],” said the captain.
“That is all clear, and true enough,” replied Dr. Livesey. “We take the risk, but we are not so ignorant as you think. Next, you say you don’t like the crew. Are they not good seamen?”
“I don’t like them, sir,” returned Captain Smollett.
“Well, now, tell us what you want, captain,” asked the doctor.
“They are putting the powder and the arms in the fore hold [39],” said the captain. “Now, you have a good place under the cabin; why not put them there? I’ll tell you what I’ve heard myself,” continued Captain Smollett, “that you have a map of an island, that there’re crosses on the map to show where treasure is, and that the island lies —” And then he named the latitude and longitude exactly.
“I never told that,” cried the squire, “to a soul! Livesey, that must be you or Hawkins!”
“Well, gentlemen,” continued the captain, “I don’t know who has this map; but I think, it needs to be kept secret. I am responsible for the ship’s safety and the life of every man. And that’s all.”
10. The Voyage
The Hispaniola has begun its voyage to the Isle of Treasure. I am not going to relate that voyage in detail. It was prosperous. The ship proved to be a good ship, the crew were capable seamen, and the captain understood his business. As for Long John Silver, the men called him Barbecue [40].
“He’s no common man [41], Barbecue,” said the coxswain [42] to me. “He can speak like a book; and brave – like a lion!”
All the crew respected and even obeyed him. To me he was very kind, and always glad to see me.
“Come away, Hawkins,” he would say. “Nobody is more welcome than yourself, my son. Sit down and hear the news. Here’s Captain Flint [43] – I call my parrot Captain Flint, after the famous pirate – here’s Captain Flint predicting success to our voyage.”
And the parrot would say, with great rapidity, “Pieces of eight [44]! Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!” till John threw his handkerchief over the cage.
“Now, that bird,” he would say, “is, maybe, two hundred years old, Hawkins – they live forever.”
Every man on board seemed content. Always a barrel of apples was standing on the deck. And you will see, it saved us.
Just after sundown, when all my work was over and I was on my way to my bed, I decided to eat an apple. I ran on deck and found that there was only one apple left. Suddenly I heard Silver’s voice. I decided not to show myself. And later I realized that the lives of all the honest men aboard the ship depended upon me alone.
11. What I Heard in the Apple Barrel
“No, not I,” said Silver. “Flint was a captain; I was a quartermaster [45]. I’m fifty. Gentlemen of fortune [46] usually trust little among themselves, and right they are. Now, here’s what I say: Captain Smollett is a first-class seaman; he sails the ship for us. Mr. Trelawney and the doctor have the map. I don’t know where it is. No more do you. Well then, I mean this squire and doctor will find the treasure, and help us to get it aboard. I’ll finish with them at the island.”
“What will you do with them?” asked a sailor.
“Dead men don’t bite. I’m an easy man – I’m quite the gentleman. I give my vote – death.”
“John,” cried the coxswain, “you’re a man!” And they went away.
You can imagine my horror! Almost at the same time the voice of the lookout shouted, “Land!”
12. Council of War [47]
39
They are putting the powder and the arms in the fore hold. – Порох и оружие складывают в носовой части судна (
44
Pieces of eight – Пиастры! (